The present invention relates to electronic organs, and in particular to a system for automatically generating a pattern of notes for accompanying the music manually played by the organist.
Although an organ is basically a complex instrument and one which is difficult to play, the advent of modern electronics has enabled the incorporation of a number of easy play features, which simplify the playing of the organ and make it a more attractive instrument to a beginner. These easy play features simulate or duplicate the effects which could otherwise only be achieved by a much more experienced player, such as the playing of fill notes, arpeggios, and the like.
One of the basic features incorporated into most electronic organs for simplifying playing is that of the automatic chord generator wherein the depression of a single key automatically plays the appropriate notes of the chord either arbitrarily assigned to that key or having that key as its root tone. Another feature, which is commonly used in conjunction with the automatic chord feature, is the automatic note pattern generator wherein the organ automatically plays a rhythmic pattern of notes corresponding to the chord which is played. For example, if a C major chord has been selected, the note pattern may consist of the notes C, E, G played as an arpeggio or a melodic sequence. As the automatically generated note pattern is being played, the performer may continue to play a melody on the solo manual as long as the appropriate chord key is held on the accompaniment manual.
Although the ability to have a note pattern automatically played merely by depressing a single chord key is very attractive to the beginning organist because it enables him to concentrate on playing the melody on the solo manual, his playing skill will soon reach the level where he is no longer satisfied with being constrained to use the automatic chord feature. Because the number of chords which can be generated by the automatic chord feature is limited and there is generally no flexibility insofar as chord inversions are concerned, the progressing organist will at some time desire to abandon the use of the automatic chord feature and begin playing the chords manually. Once this is done, however, certain of the more important easy play features are lost, such as that of automatic note pattern generation. This represents a substantial increase in the difficulty in playing, because now the organist must not only be concerned with playing the melody on the solo manual and playing the chords manually on the accompaniment manual, but he must also manually play the arpeggios and other accompaniment note patterns. Thus, existing organs, although very suitable for beginning players, do not provide sufficient flexibility to enable the progressing player to gradually discontinue the use of easy play features as he achieves higher levels of skill.